- name:
- ad-personas
- description:
- Use this skill when defining ad personas — translating ICP segments into the persona lens every ad, angle, and offer gets built against.
Ad Persona Framework
Why Ad Personas Matter
- The secret to standing out isn't being the loudest, it's being the most relevant
- The better you understand your target audience, the easier everything becomes (copy, offers, audiences)
- Most companies have user personas but haven't transformed them into ad personas
- Ad persona = how you're going to ACTUALLY target that ideal person on ad platforms
What Is an Ad Persona?
An ad persona bridges the gap between "who we want to reach" and "what targeting options are actually available on the platform." Without it, you end up with generic targeting that wastes budget on the wrong people.
Ad Persona Template Components
Demographic
- Name
- Age
- Location
- Gender
- Degrees
Firmographic
- Industries
- Company Size
- Job Titles
- Job Functions
- Seniority
- Years of Experience
- Members Skills
Intent
- Ideal keywords: Dream keywords you'd want to show up for. Use Google Ads Keyword Planner to research.
- Listing sites: Does your ICP use Capterra, SoftwareAdvice, G2, etc.?
Consumption
- LinkedIn/Facebook groups they belong to
- Relevant conferences they attend
- Blogs they read
- Podcasts they listen to
- Think creatively about all the ways you can get in front of your ideal customer
Psychographic
- Goals: What are they trying to achieve?
- Challenges: What obstacles are they facing?
- Thinking: What are they considering to reach those goals?
- Hearing: What are they consistently hearing in the market?
- Seeing: What trends or solutions are they seeing?
- What they've tried: What have they already attempted to solve their problem?
The better you understand the psychographic profile, the easier it becomes to write copy that resonates, craft offers that convert, and build audiences that perform.
How to Build an Ad Persona
To build an ad persona, go into the ads manager of each channel you're considering, create a draft campaign, and explore the targeting options available. Fill out each section based on what the platform actually allows you to target. This bridges the gap between "who we want to reach" and "what's actually targetable."
Key Principle
Transform your existing user personas into actionable ad personas by mapping each persona attribute to the actual targeting capabilities available on your chosen ad platforms. This ensures your targeting is precise and your budget is spent reaching the right people.